A friend and guitarist I respect immensely threw this question out on Facebook recently and got a lot of feedback from the community. Answers varied but they broke down into two distinct camps. One was concerned about protecting the guitar as an investment and the other was concerned about ease of access. Handling, selling and being around thousands of guitars over the years has given me some insight into the two perspectives that dominated the comment thread.
When I talk to absolute beginners I always point out that it’s important to make your new guitar part of your daily routine. You can look at it as a lifestyle choice like fitness and like fitness you’ll get what you put into it. So, that means keeping the guitar out where you can see it all the time. This way it’s not a case of out of sight, out of mind right? Being able to pick it up spontaneously is an organic way to find out where and when you can bond with your new friend. I sell more guitar stands to first-time guitar buyers than straps because who stands around the house to chillax? You need a guitar strap to stand up and perform and you’re not there yet. The stand will get used. In fact, I often share the story of my wife surprising me with being open to the idea of a guitar wall-mount in the living room. She went into home-decorating mode. There’s a bunch of stuff on Pintrest: painting faux frames on the wall around the guitar, crafty stuff…you might be surprised too.
I handle customer’s personal guitars all the time for minor repairs, pick-up swaps and set-ups here at Moore Music and it’s pretty easy to spot a case-kept guitar. Guitars that are given a little TLC with a regular one-step polish/cleaner, neck wipe-down and case storage after use can stay looking brand new for years and years. Case-kept guitars show less oxidation on the metal parts and the color and clear coat isn’t compromised by UV exposure. Fine particulates don’t get a chance to build up on the finish and the plastic parts are in much better condition. The stable or really, lack of environment in the case reduces the likelihood of low humidity adversely affecting the wood.
So there you have it. If you want to protect an investment that will become a family heirloom piece than use the case that it most likely came with and keep the case candy-original factory tags, stickers, manuals, care and feeding instructions etc. Anything else, keep it out and handy for immediate use! I will point out that I don’t think I sell nearly enough guitar polish/ cleaner. However you store or handle guitar you should clean it regularly because sweat really attacks the metal, plastic and finish. Besides, skin detritus and dried sweat is just gross. By the way, use an actual guitar cleaning product. Don’t use furniture polish because the wax will build up and don’t use window cleaner because the ammonia isn’t good for the plastic. There are a lot of fine products out there specially formulated for all types of finishes and are metal/plastic-safe. This relatively cheap investment and good habit will keep your axe sharp for many, many years!
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